


Passion Exists Between Chair and Keyboard

by RoedValkyrie



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: A LOT of Dad Jokes, Alternative Universe - Different Timeline, Alternative Universe - Human, Dad Jokes, Eventual Smut, IT work, M/M, Slow Build, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-15
Updated: 2019-09-15
Packaged: 2020-10-19 06:36:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20652806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoedValkyrie/pseuds/RoedValkyrie
Summary: When Connor started working for the DPD as their newest addition to the IT Support Department he hadn't expected to meet so much resistance when it came to new and exciting technology. Amidst having to juggle repairs of Cyberlife's newest gadgets and elementary IT support, he didn't think he would find himself so interested in an older model, who brings him more challenges and smiles than he could count.





	Passion Exists Between Chair and Keyboard

**Detroit, 2031**

_ “Today marks the day where the Armed Forces of the United States as well as our Law Enforcement institutions across the country may officially start purchasing and enrolling androids into their ranks. This new development in the employment and use of androids has been a heated topic of debate throughout the year, and both sides have made their voices and opinions heard through social media campaigns, demonstrations and boycotts. _

_ While parts of the population believe that the addition of androids to these particularly high-risk professions is purely positive, others are of the opinion that--” _

_ “Androids in our Armed Forces, can you believe it Janette?!  _

_ Generations upon generations of proud Americans have made their careers within the military - to proudly serve this great country when She was in need of aid - and now they want to replace the heart and soul of true, patriotic Americans with nothing but machines! Utterly outrageous--” _

_ "Androids have progressed and developed so much from our original ST200 that we released back in 2024. The models we have created to aid our Armed Forces and law enforcement personnel have been carefully designed for their respective fields, and they will therefore not be available to find on the commercial market for regular consumers. _

_ Our goal with these models is not, according to the nay-sayers, to create unemployment within these industries. No; Cyberlife aims to give our existing troops and law enforcement personnel these tools to ease the work-loads they face every day, to provide security for those who are constantly in the line of fire and mortal danger. Of course, this will still be on a trial basis for the time being, but--” _

“Bunch of  _ phucking  _ bullshit - all of it...”

The abrupt muting of the television has Connor looking up from his nearly-filled cup of coffee, his attention - just as everyone else’s in the break room - turned towards the aggravated man holding the remote. Judging by some of the looks that were being shared, it was not the first time Detective Gavin Reed was going on a tirade like this - but it was certainly the first time that Connor had witnessed him go so red in the face.

“First they got rid of our receptionists - and now  _ this?  _ What are they planning on doing, replacing all our beat cops with  _ Terminator  _ knock-offs to scare the public into order?  _ Hah!  _ Fat chance the mobs of unemployed folk out there are going to take kindly to that lot - they’re the reason they’re out of work in the first place!”

The remote control clattered against the counter as Gavin tossed it onto the countertop, the sudden noise almost enough to have Connor rattle his coffee cup.  _ Oh this hot-headed fool-- _

“It’s only going to be a matter of damn time before these stupid  _ tin cans _ have taken over the entire place and have kicked us to the curb They expect those untrained buckets of metal to be able to do our jobs better than we can!  _ Phucking bullshit--!” _

Quiet murmurs of agreement started to echo throughout the break-room - although Connor had trouble judging whether or not they were genuinely agreeing with Gavin’s sentiment, or simply unwilling to pick a fight if they disagreed. But whether or not it was genuine, the acknowledgement and agreement from his peers seemed to have been just the sort of validation that the hot-headed detective was looking for. When Connor spared him a quick glimpse from over his shoulder he could see a look of smug triumphance on Gavin’s face as he soaked in the undivided attention of the other officers.

Connor had no intention of giving Gavin any more attention that he was already getting.

The few interactions he’d had with the man had been overall unpleasant, even though Connor really didn’t understand why he seemed to have such disdain for him from the very get-go. He had not misconducted himself in any way around the hot-head - in fact, considering the unpleasant nature of Gavin Reed, Connor thought that he had been conducting himself  _ extremely _ professionally since he had not stooped to his level of mockery.

Perhaps it was because Connor had to be the one to inform him that no, you could in fact  _ not _ download more RAM off of the internet - and whatever it was that Gavin  _ had _ downloaded was certainly the reason why the presinct’s Firewall had rendered his computer a useless piece of junk.

He’d done it  _ nicely _ , though - and hadn’t exactly projected it to the entire precinct. Maybe he just hadn’t appreciated the lengthy talk he had to sit through as Connor went over proper IT security and etiquette with him.

A talk he - quite frankly - hadn’t expected he’d need to have with someone of Gavin’s generation.

“ _ Hey _ \-- IT-guy!”

Connor froze on the spot - hand hovering around his filled paper cup.

“You work for those  _ Cyberlife _ types, don’t you?”

He should have walked away from this situation while he still had the chance. It would have been easy enough. Just pick up your cup of Mocca and slide out of the room, Connor. Weave in and out between the officers that stood lingering at the open entryway and head off towards the next  _ Blue Screen _ that needed tending to.

But no; he hadn’t managed a  _ Great Escape _ because he got lost in his own mind and now he couldn’t very well excuse himself from this situation.

Connor took a deep breath before he turned around to face Gavin, coffee cup in hand, hopefully an indication to the irate detective that he was ready to head out the door.

“I was sent here by  _ Cyberlife, _ yes.”

“To oversee the  _ ‘Implementation of new technology within the DPD’ _ \- isn’t that right?”

Well - at least Gavin paid  _ some _ attention to what had been relayed at the morning briefing when Connor had been introduced to the precinct. Not that it was doing Connor any good now.

Calmly, he set his cup of coffee aside and faced Gavin - his expression one of calm composure as he prepared to give the same old spiel that he had been giving multiple times over the last couple of days:

“I was sent here to assure that your current equipment is up to the correct standards and that all issues in regards to your IT and electronic equipment and aids are solved in a timely manner--”   
  
“ _ Yeah, yeah, yeah,” _ Gavin interrupted him with a quick, dismissive wave of his hand, “when these buckets of screws come here you’ll be the one to keep their joints all oiled up and what-not,  _ right _ ? You must be real pleased with your new-found job security,  _ Mr. Cyberlife. _ ”

Heads were turning towards Connor, expectant and  _ judging _ eyes directed his way. All of them were waiting for an answer from him and there was no way he was going to be able to excuse himself out of giving one.

He could give them a placating answer, which in truth would be nothing but a lie. Although, considering that these were folk who made their living off of their ability to read other people, Connor  _ knew _ that they would be able to call his bluff straight away. After all; why would Connor speak ill of the company who employed him - why would he see the advancement and implementation of technology as a bad thing, when he had demonstrated a new forensic field tool with such grand enthusiasm just the other day?

“While I don’t think that the complications of these new additions to the force may bring--”

A loud  _ snort _ sounded from Gavin at that, but the buffoon mercifully kept his mouth shut for a moment longer, allowing Connor to continue with his answer.

“I do believe that we should see this as a positive development.  _ Cyberlife  _ were one of the companies who took the first steps in revolutionizing many of the tools that you now find invaluable, and have continued to produce new additions to Law Enforcement to this day. I think that the additions of specialized androids should be seen as a great opportunity for--”

“ _ Wow!  _ It’s almost like having a real-life infomercial from  _ Cyberlife _ here!”

Connor feels his mouth twitch downwards in an involuntary frown before he can manage to keep his expression in check, prompting Gavin to sneer in his direction.

“Doubt you’ll be singing the same tune when it’s  _ your _ job security that’s on the line - but  _ sure _ ! Praise this ‘ _ positive development’ _ all you damn want - why should you give a shit about all of us having a pink slip tossed on our desk,  _ hmm _ ?”

He isn’t intimidated when Gavin steps up to him - especially not when he notes how the detective does have to tilt his head back  _ ever _ so slightly to make up for the height difference - but Connor chooses to remain silent. Even if he believes that was he said was only reasonable and true, that didn’t mean that the others in the room were of the same opinion.

“Only reason they’ll consider keeping you on is because Anderson hasn’t learned the  _ five-finger _ method yet. Wouldn’t even put a  _ phucking _ android on such a pointless task!”

The by-now lukewarm coffee in his hand spills out over his fingers when Gavin pushes past him, leaving Connor to stand there with coffee stains on the cuff of his shirt and a mess on the floor he feels obligated to clean up. No-one moves to offer Connor napkins to tidy up the spilt coffee on the floor, no-one speaks up in his defence or to agree with him. Instead, most simply turn their back as he goes about pulling napkins from the dispenser, quietly whispering amongst themselves as he kneels down to wipe down the tiled floor.

* * *

This wasn’t the first time that Connor had found himself being the odd one out amongst his colleagues. It wasn’t the first time he had said something that he knew would go against the opinion of the many.

But he had always found it difficult to lie - especially if it meant going against his own opinions - just to placate others and make sure to stay on friendly terms with those around him. He had always been a person who spoke his mind, and sometimes it meant that he got himself into unfavourable situations.

That was simply the way that he was - and he didn’t want to change that about himself.

Besides, it wasn’t as if he had been making friends at the DPD to begin with. 

The moment he was introduced as an employee from  _ Cyberlife _ most of the officers and detectives in attendance during Jeffrey’s briefing had looked at him with eyes full of distrust and weariness. Was it really true what was being said; was he simply here to give the near non-existent IT department a boost? Or had  _ Cyberlife _ sent him here in order to make notes of which areas need improvement?

Which officers and detectives were performing poorly enough that a piece of technology might replace them?

Everyone had kept their guard up around him, unwilling to engage in the stilted small-talk Connor had attempted when he would be at their desks to tend to their malfunctioning tech. Some had simply remained silent while Connor worked - others had opted to leave their desks entirely.

Gavin Reed had been one of the few that had engaged with him - but  _ those  _ interactions were ones Connor would much rather have been without.

But just because Connor was used to not  _ quite _ fitting in at the places he was sent to, it didn’t mean that he particularly liked having to eat his lunch alone, or that most people would rather dismiss his attempts of genuine conversation because they feared there were ulterior motives behind it all.

So when he opens the door to his apartment he still felt rather dejected about the whole ordeal, even if he would much rather put it all behind him and focus on his nightly routines.

The moment he sets foot inside his apartment the room lights up in a soft, comforting glow, and in an instant the intensity of the overhead lights dim ever so slightly to adjust to the time of day. His home is sparsely decorated.What he owns is what he  _ needs _ and  _ uses _ , rather than a mountain of assorted knick knacks and useless trinkets. Everything is kept in soft monochromatic tones, with the slightest touches of earthy colours sneaking their way in.

The furniture is modern and practical, everything serving a specific purpose while still keeping a coherent style throughout the small studio space.

Sleek, minimalistic and modern.

Just how Connor had always prefered it.

With his overcoat and shoes neatly stowed away in their rightful places he heads straight towards the single most bright and colourful thing in the small studio apartment; a large aquarium with bright teal lights illuminating the inside of the tank, where one lone and colourful fish was currently swimming about - not a single care in the world.

Connor crouches in front of the meticulously decorated tank - allowing himself a moment to simply watch his little friend swim about the long, dancing strands of kelp.

“Hey Daniel - ready for your dinner?”

Daniel the Fish doesn’t give him much of a reply, but Connor doesn’t need much acknowledgement from his tropical friend.

He opens the doors in the unit that the aquarium is sturdily placed on top of and picks out a container of fish flakes, carefully shaking a couple out into his left hand before he reaches up above the aquarium drop them inside. They land silently on the rippling surface of the aquarium - and Daniel seems none too interested in his offering.

“It has been a  _ day _ today, Daniel.”

An exasperated huff escapes him as he turned around to sit with his back against the side of the armchair that stood next to Daniel’s aquarium, allowing him to watch the fish swim about while he voices his complaints.

It was normal to complain to your pets about your issues when you phone was near void of any non-professional contacts,  _ right _ ?

“I don’t understand why they are so unwilling to give these changes a  _ chance _ .”

The flakes slowly but surely start to sink past the water’s surface, swirling their way down deeper into the aquarium before Daniel comes swimming by to swallow them up with greedy hunger.

“Well - I  _ get _ that they are feeling hesitant about it all after having seen what happened elsewhere after androids were implemented--”

Another couple of flakes were shook out of the container to feed Daniel - although it would seem like the first couple of nibbles had given the fish enough encouragement to come closer towards the surface for these ones. The loud noise of its mouth breaching the surface echoes in the aquarium, its lips smacking noisily against the water as it gobbles up the offered flakes.

“--but no-one has shown any real interest in any of the new equipment that was presented to them! Some of these could save countless hours of manpower if they were just used correctly, but no-one seems willing to get familiar with them.”

With no more flakes bobbing at the surface of the water, Daniel heads back down into its tank - lazily swimming back and forth in front of the glass. Connor likes to think that it listened to him, cared about what he was saying.

At the very least it hadn’t swam off to hide in its decorative rock cave yet.

“They’re all so stuck in their ways. Why won’t they acknowledge that these changes are for the better for them, for the  _ people? _ ”

Daniel smacks its lips a couple of times - which is really the only acknowledgement Connor knows he’s going to get from his scale-covered companion - before it starts swimming further towards the back of the tank, done with listening to his complaining.

“Good talk Daniel - as always.”

Connor sets his left foot against the floor and starts to ease himself up from his kneeling position on the carpet, but as soon as he is mostly upright a high-pitched, squeaking noise sounds from below him. 

_ Oh _ .

It stops him in his motion - rendering him caught in an awkward balancing position - but it doesn’t take Connor long before the sound is identified. A loud, long-suffering sigh escapes him as he eases himself up to a proper stand - yet another obnoxious squeak echoing throughout the sparsely decorated home - and he heads towards his neatly set-up workstation to pick out his toolbox.

He supposes he isn’t going to get an early night after all.

* * *

Work isn’t getting off to a good start today.

When Connor arrives at his station, he finds a couple of discarded pieces of tech lying on his desk, each having a sticky-note or two stuck to it with lackluster descriptions of _ why _ they were suddenly malfunctioning. A field-analyzer that suddenly didn’t want to read samples anymore, and yet another one of  _ Cyberlife’s _ prototypes for map patterning seemed to have encountered some sort of strange glitch.

Because  _ surely _ it had to be a glitch when all it wanted to do when Connor booted it up was draw stars on a map of downtown Detroit.

Another piece of tech had  _ clearly _ suffered some abuse under a rough hand, and after a quick assessment Connor calls it a lost cause and proceeds to strip the gadget of any salvageable parts, neatly organizing them in baggies and containers for later use.

But just as he is getting into a proper rhythm with disassembling and handling common-sense IT issues over the phone -  _ “Your computer keeps freezing up? Have you tried turning it off and back on again? You’re welcome.” _ \- he is interrupted by the soft, chirpy tune of an incoming e-mail.

When he brings it up on his computer and sees who the sender is, he wishes he’d left it on  _ unread _ . The header simply states “ _ have fun nerd!”  _ while the e-mail itself is empty, except for a small attached video file. 

Connor is hesitant to open it - after all, this was the man who had thought that you were able to download  _ RAM  _ just a couple of days ago. But he sincerely doubts that Gavin is smart enough - or dumb enough, considering he was on a shared network  _ and _ at work - to download Malware to spread it to the office.

So, with curiosity getting the better of him he swipes his finger across the screen to open the attached file, only to be instantly bombarded with loud, colourful curses and Gavin’s barely contained laughter. A silver-haired man with a rather  _ loud _ shirt is, with his back to the camera, shaking  _ something _ vigorously on his desk.

“ _ You old piece of shit! What the hell is wrong with you now?! I had you looked at last week!” _

Cables smack loudly against the top of the desk when the silver-haired aggressor continues to shake whatever it is he’s holding even more vigorously, but it’s in that moment that Gavin turns the camera on his own smug, grinning face:

“ _ I think Anderson needs some IT support!” _

The video is cut amidst a colourful curse, and Connor starts to feel a distinct sinking feeling settle in his gut.  
  
So  _ this _ was the Anderson he had heard mention of the day before.

If one were to go by stereotypes he supposed that this  _ was _ the sort of man he had imagined in his head. Someone of an older generation with very little patience and an explosive temper. A person who thought that shaking the computer would  _ surely _ be enough to fix it, and that all  _ download _ buttons they found on the internet were perfectly safe to press.

Someone who Connor would  _ much _ prefer was not at the desk when he went to fix whatever it was Anderson had just managed to break.

This was going to be a  _ very _ long day.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading - and I hope you want to come back and experience the joy of IT work with Connor, and finally figure out how the art will tie into this story!
> 
> For more amazing stories from this event, please go to https://hankconrbb.wordpress.com/ and have a look at the other fantastic works created!
> 
> Once again a BIG thank you to the amazingly talented Yakichou for their beautiful and inspiring art - what started out as a simple story has suddenly spun into something bigger than I would have expected, and without them I wouldn't have been inspired to write this! You can view the art here https://twitter.com/Yakichou1/status/1173283335017238528 - make sure to let them know how amazing it is! <3
> 
> Please make sure to go check them out at https://twitter.com/Yakichou1 - where you can find more of their fantastic work, as well as pictures of their adorable pets.  
They also have a Ko-Fi that you can check out at at https://ko-fi.com/yakichou !
> 
> You can find me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/RoedValkyrie - I mostly just retweet shitty memes, but hey!


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